Aquarium syphon

ABSTRACT

A syphon is used with an aquarium tank and a separate filter tank, water being pumped from below filter material in the filter tank into the aquarium tank, the syphon having a long leg discharging filtered water near the bottom of the aquarium tank and having a short leg in the filter tank with a check valve at the end of the short leg preventing flow into the short leg allowing the syphon to have its short leg removed from the filter tank so the filter tank may be serviced, the check valve holding water in the syphon so it will automatically start on replacing the short leg in the filter tank, the check valve having a casing containing an upward facing valve seat, a valve guide containing a valve guide aperture over the valve seat, and a spherical valve engaging the valve seat and having a stem loosely extending through the valve guide aperture.

United States Patent [19] Horvath Nov. 13, 1973 AQUARIUM SYPHON [76]Inventor: Tibor Horvath, Brooklyn, NY. Primary Examiner prank SpearAssistant ExaminerT, A. Granger [22] Filed: Mar. 5, 1973 Att0rneyPeterL. Tailer 211 App1.No.: 338,289

Related US. Application Data Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 186,298,Oct. 4, 1971, abandoned.

[57] ABSTRACT A syphon is used with an aquarium tank and a separatefilter tank, water being pumped from below filter material in the filtertank into the aquarium tank, the syphon having a long leg dischargingfiltered water near the bottom of the aquarium tank and having a shortleg in the filter tank with a check valve at the end of the shortlegpreventing flow into the short leg allowing the syphon to have itsshort leg removed from the filter tank so the filter tank may beserviced, the check valve holding water in the syphon so it willautomatically start on replacing the short leg in the filter tank, thecheck valve having a casing containing an upward facing valve seat, avalve guide containing a valve guide aperture over the valve seat, and aspherical valve engaging the valve seat and having a stem looselyextending through the valve guide aperture.

4 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures Patented Nov. 13, 1973 3,771,544

2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. TIBOR HORVATH Mia 5. BY 5% Km ATTORNEY,

Patented Nov. 13, 1973 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 AQUARIUM SYPHON CROSS-REFERENCESTO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation-in-part of mypatent application Ser. No. 186,298 filed Oct. 4, 1971 and nowabandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is often desirable to remove an aquariumsyphon which conducts water from the bottom of an aquarium tank into afilter tank having a lower water level produced by the action of afilter pump. The syphon may have to be removed from the filter tank tochange filter material or to allow the syphon function to be performedby a suction cleaning device. Replacing a syphon of the conventionaltype when it is removed from the filter tank is difficult as it must befilled with water to operate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The syphon of this invention has a check valveon its short leg to hold water in the syphon when the short leg isremoved from the filter tank. The check valve has an upward facing valveseat in a casing fixed to the short leg, it has a valve guide containingan aperture disposed over the valve seat, and it has a valve with aspherical lower surface engaging the valve seat, the valve having a stemextending loosely through and above the valve guide aperture.

This construction enables the valve to be rotated by its stem againstthe seat to clear scum from the contact area between the valve and itsseat. This is vital in an aquarium environment to maintain tight contactafter several weeks of operation.

In addition, this construction enables the check valve to bemanufactured with relatively crude tolerances as when molded in plasticand assembled. Misalignment of the valve stem does not prevent completecircular contact of the spherical valve with its seat.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a vertical section through afragment of an aquarium tank, anattached filter tank, and a syphon shownin operation according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section through a fragment of an aquarium tank anda fragment of a filter tank showing a syphon removed from the filtertank allowing the filter tank to be serviced;

FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 are, respectively, vertical sections through filtertank ends of syphons showing modifications of this invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the valve guide of the I syphon of FIG.5;

FIG. 7 is a vertical section through a syphon according to the preferredembodiment of this invention and through a filter tank and a fragment ofan aquarium tank between which the syphon extends;

FIG. 8 is an exploded, perspective view of the check valve of the syphonshown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a vertical section through the check valve of the syphon ofFIG. 7 with two sizes of syphon tubing shown fixed thereto in phantomlines;

FIG. 10 is a side view of a fragment of a syphon partially broken awayin section shown resting on a fragment of the edge of an aquarium shownin section, an alternative position of the syphon being shown resting onanother fragment of the edge of an aquarium shown in phantom lines; and

FIG. 11 is a side view of a broken away end of a sypon having a checkvalve thereon rotated and shown resting on a fragment 'of the edge of anaquarium shown in section.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, anaquarium tank 10 has a wall 11 from the outer side of which hangs therelatively small filter tank 12. Filter tank 12 contains a perforatedbase plate 13 on which rests the two main layers of filter material 14and 15 which are usually charcoal and a fiberous material. A pump 16driven by motor 17 draws water from below the base 13 and pumps itthrough a return tube 18 into aquarium tank 10. Pump 16 lowers the waterlevel in filter tank 12 so that a syphon 19 keeps it filled from tank10. This action continuously passes water from tank 10 through thefilter material 14 and 15. v

The syphon has a long leg 20 extending into aquarium tank 10 and a shortleg 21 extending into filter tank 12. The aquarium leg 20 should extendsubstantially to the bottom of tank 10 to draw water to be filtered fromthe bottom of tank 10 and provide good circulation. When the filtermaterial 14 and 15 is changed or when a tank cleaning device is to besubstituted for syphon 19, an inward extending hook 22 of leg 21 isplaced on top of wall 11. A horizontal exit portion 23 of leg 21contains a hinged flap valve 23 which seats against shoulder 24. Whenthe syphon is removed from the filter tank, as shown in FIG. 2, valve 23closes as the flow in the syphon attempts to reverse. This traps waterin the syphon so that it will automatically start when leg 21 is againimmersed in filter tank 12. When the syphon 19 automatically starts,water flows as shown in FIG. 1 opening flap valve 23.

The valve 23, as well as the valves shown in other embodiments of thisinvention, must be very easily opened as the water pressures involvedare very low. The horizontal exit portion 25 of leg 21 prevents filtermaterial 14 and 15 from interfering with flow from leg 21. A flat bottomsurface 27 of leg 21 is provided to rest on the filter material 14 and15 and support the syphon.

FIG. 3 shows the end of a filter tank leg 30 of a modified syphon 31.Syphon 31 has a hook 32 and a flat bottom surface 33 to rest on filtermaterial. A solid ball 34,

considerably more dense than water, rests against a seat 35. A slightlyinclined ball guide 36, similar to that shown in FIG. 6, snaps in placeabout seat 35. The inclined guide 36 allows the slight pressuresinvolved to roll the solid ball 34 away from seat 35 to allow water toflow.

FIG. 4 shows a filter tank leg 40 of a modified syphon 41. Syphon 41 issimilar to syphon 31 except that its seat 45 faces directly upward tohave the ball guide 46 snap in place about it. A hollow ball 44, onlyslightly more dense than water, is moved upward to allow water to flow.Removal of syphon 41 from a filter tank allows ball 44 to seat and trapwater for automatic starting.

FIG. 5 shows a filter tank leg 50 of a syphon 51. Syphon 51 is similarto syphon 31 except that it has a separately attached lower end 52having an upward facing conical seat 55. A valve guide 56, shown in FIG.6, snaps in place about seat 55. Guide 56 has two supports 57 and 58formed integrally with top 59 which contains a valve guide aperture 63.Supports 57 and 58 flex inward to have their hooked ends 60 and 61 snapoutward and become secured in the upturned end 62 ofleg 50. Disk valve64 has a conical edge 68 which rests in seat 55. Guide stem 65 extendsfrom disk valve 64 through guide aperture 63. Any scum or deposits whichmay form after a long period of use on seat 55 or on the edge 68 toprevent the complete closing of valve 64 may be cleared by rotating edge68 against seat 55 by turning valve guide stem 65. The slight waterpressures available easily lift valve disk 64 and its stem 65 to allowfiow through the syphon 51.,

Referring now to FIGS. 7-11, aquarium having a side wall 11 with a rim69 thereon has a filter tank 12 hooked to it. Filter tank 12 contains apump 16' driven by motor 17 as has been described in connection with theembodiment of FIG. 1. Filter tank 12' contains a perforated base plate13 on which rest the layers of filter material 14 and A syphon 70 has along leg 71 extending into aquarium tank 10' and a short leg 72extending into filter tank 12.

Syphon check valve 74, which represents a preferred embodiment of thisinvention, has a chamber 75 formed by the oblong side wall 76 and anoblong base 77 which is glued or otherwise secured to the lower edge ofwall 76. One end of the top 78 of chamber 75 has a collar 79 extendingupward about an opening 80. Collar 79 tapers inwardly and outwardly toaccommodate two sizes of tubing 70 and 70 as shown in FIG. 9. About anopening 81 at the other end of top 78 there is formed a conical valveseat 82. Two molded tapered projections 83 and 84 extend upward betweenthe openings 80 and 81.

A valve guide 85 has a plate 86 integrally molded with three bosses 87,88, and 89. Bosses 87 and 88 contain the blind apertures 90 and 91 whichreceive the projections 83 and 84 to fix guide 85 with its through guideaperture 92 over seat 82. A valve 93 having a spherical lower surface 99has a stem 94 which extends loosely through and projects above guideaperture 92. The upper projecting end 95 of stem 94 is serrated so thatit can be grasped by the fingers and rotated to clear scum from thecontact circle between seat 82 and the spherical lower surface 99 ofvalve 93. Valve 93 always makes a good contact with seat 82as itsalignment is not critcal. If in assembly of check valve 74 aperture 92is offset slightly from the axis of seat 82, perfect contact will stillbe made between surface 99 and seat 82.

The base 77 has two integrally molded projections 96 and 97 projectingdownward from it. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, these downwardprojections 96 and 97 may be used to hook the syphon to the side wall 11' of an aquarium tank 10' when the short leg 72 if the syphon isremoved from the filter tank 12'.

What is claimed is:

1. For use with an aquarium tank, a filter tank associated with saidaquarium tank, layers of filter material in said filter tank, and a pumpdrawing water from said filter tank below said layers of filter materialand returning filtered water to the aquarium tank; a syphon comprising,in combination, a long leg of said syphon reaching substantially to thebottom of said aquarium tank, a short exhaust leg of said syphonconnected to said long leg and extending into said filter tank, and acheck valve fixed at the bottom of said short leg opening to allow waterto flow therefrom, said check valve closing on removal of said short legfrom said filter tank trapping water in said syphon so that said syphonautomatically starts on replacing said short leg in said filter tank,said check valve having a closed side wall, a top, a base, said wall,said top, and said base forming a chamber, a collar formed on said topto receive said short leg, said top containing a first opening withinsaid collar and a second opening forming a circular valve seat, a valveguide containing a guide aperture, means mounting said valve guide sothat said guide aperture is disposed over said valve seat, a valveelement having a lower spherical surface and a vertically arranged stem,the stem of said valve element extending upward loosely through saidguide aperture and extending above said valve guide to be grasped by thefingers of a user to rotate said valve against said seat.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said means mounting saidvalve guide comprises upward projections from said top and wherein saidvalve guide contains apertures receiving said upward projections therebymounting said valve guide.

3. The combination according to claim 2 wherein said collar has aninward and an outward taper to selectively receive two sizes of saidsyphon.

4. The combination according to claim 2 wherein said base has at leastone downward projection to hook said check valve on the edge of saidaquarium tank when said said short leg is removed from said filter tank.

1. For use with an aquarium tank, a filter tank associated with saidaquarium tank, layers of filter material in said filter tank, and a pumpdrawing water from said filter tank below said layers of filter materialand returning filtered water to the aquarium tank; a syphon comprising,in combination, a long leg of said syphon reaching substantially to thebottom of said aquarium tank, a short exhaust leg of said syphonconnected to said long leg and extending into said filter tank, and acheck valve fixed at the bottom of said short leg opening to allow waterto flow therefrom, said check valve closing on removal of said short legfrom said filter tank trapping water in said syphon so that said syphonautomatically starts on replacing said short leg in said filter tank,said check valve having a closed side wall, a top, a base, said wall,said top, and said base forming a chamber, a collar formed on said topto receive said short leg, said top containing a first opening withinsaid collar and a second opening forming a circular valve seat, a valveguide containing a guide aperture, means mounting said valve guide sothat said guide aperture is disposed over said valve seat, a valveelement Having a lower spherical surface and a vertically arranged stem,the stem of said valve element extending upward loosely through saidguide aperture and extending above said valve guide to be grasped by thefingers of a user to rotate said valve against said seat.
 2. Thecombination according to claim 1 wherein said means mounting said valveguide comprises upward projections from said top and wherein said valveguide contains apertures receiving said upward projections therebymounting said valve guide.
 3. The combination according to claim 2wherein said collar has an inward and an outward taper to selectivelyreceive two sizes of said syphon.
 4. The combination according to claim2 wherein said base has at least one downward projection to hook saidcheck valve on the edge of said aquarium tank when said said short legis removed from said filter tank.